(MENAFN- The Peninsula) In a strange coincidence, the two teams who played the opening match of the 22nd Gulf Cup also find themselves facing each other again in the final.
Thirteen days ago, Qatar and Saudi Arabia fought each other to a 1-1 stalemate, but today there will have to be a result at the King Fahd International Stadium.
Winning a Gulf Cup after a decade would be a major achievement, but Qatar have their work cut out. This is a team without a number of its best and biggest stars but so far, Djamel Belmadi's men have coped well.
The Saudis, on the other hand, will have a huge home crowd cheering on their every move. But Qatar's assistant coach Sergio Romano yesterday said he wasn't too worried about that.
"We are ready and we won't be affected by any crowd support for the home team," he said. "Home teams usually have the advantage but that doesn't stop you from performing. If you are strong and if you can handle pressure, you can perform. And, the players are used to playing in front of partisan crowds."
However, the Qataris will have some support. The Qatar Football Association (QFA), in cooperation with Qatar Airways, has provided four chartered flights to transport Qatari spectators to Riyadh.
Although without their key strikers, Khalfan Ibrahim and Sebastian Soria, the Maroons got a boost yesterday when their injured captain Bilal Mohammed was declared fit. The defender had missed Sunday's semi-final against Oman due to a groin.
Midfielder Ahmed Abdelmaqsoud is also set to return after serving a one-game suspension for receiving two yellow cards.
Although Saudi Arabia dominated the opening match for long stages, they could not capitalise on their advantage. That should give Qatar the psychological edge.
"We have a great desire to win this trophy. We have played some good games in the tournament and we have tested numerous combinations going into the final. Technically and physically, we are fit and ready to play," Romano said.
"We will play the game with full force and concentration. We have already played with Saudi Arabia in the tournament. We will not change our style of play that brought us a good win in the semi-finals," the assistant coach said.
When asked if luck would be a factor in today's encounter, Romano smiled and said: "Every side needs a bit of luck."
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